Surrounded by Enemies on All Sides

After news of the Huai'an Army’s surprise attack by Wang Lanping reached Nanjing, the entire court was thrown into a panic. Most anxious of all was Ma Shiying, for the Huai'an Army was the very pillar that secured his unassailable position in the government. Now, with Nanjing caught between the Huai'an Army and the Zhuan Yuan Army stationed fifty li outside the city, if Wang Lanping were to return to defend Nanjing, Ma feared he would be swiftly ousted from his role as chief minister and replaced by Wang.

Thus, Ma Shiying resolved to do everything in his power to prevent Wang Lanping’s return to the capital.

Recently, the “False Crown Prince” affair had left Ma Shiying overwhelmed and exhausted. But this was partly his own doing. Ever since Emperor Hongguang ascended the throne, Ma had effectively controlled the political affairs of Nanjing. On one hand, he shamelessly plundered the wealth of the common people for himself; on the other, he filled the court with loyalists, selling offices and titles in a corrupt alliance. The resentment among both officials and civilians in Nanjing toward him was so intense that a satirical rhyme circulated mocking him: “The commander is as lowly as a dog, the regional officials roam everywhere; the prime minister only loves money, while the emperor drinks his fill.” The “prime minister” scorned here was none other than Ma Shiying.

When the Donglin Party exposed the “False Crown Prince” scandal and spread rumors throughout the city about Emperor Hongguang’s incompetence and debauchery, as well as the chief minister’s disregard for law and pursuit of personal gain, the entire populace was filled with righteous anger, eager to see Ma Shiying and the emperor expelled from Nanjing.

At that moment, Emperor Hongguang was imprisoned in the dilapidated imperial palace in Nanjing, with all state affairs decided by Ma Shiying. In a fit of rage, Ma declared the prince who appeared at the Yingtian Prefecture Office to be a false crown prince and had him imprisoned in the capital’s criminal detention center.

By imperial decree, Ma ordered the arrest of more than fifty members of the Donglin Party, including Minister of Rites Qian Qianyi, along with numerous officials who had fled from Beijing. All were thrown into the criminal prison, their families’ properties confiscated and absorbed into Ma’s personal fortune.

But Ma’s cruelty did not end there. Accusing the populace of slandering the emperor’s father, he dispatched his son, Deputy General Ma Ming, to brutally root out and slaughter innocent citizens, confiscating their homes and wealth. Within seven days, over a thousand innocent people in Nanjing were killed, plunging the city into terror and suspicion.

The Donglin Party’s scheme had backfired disastrously. Mere words could not contend with the power Ma wielded, resulting in harm to themselves and suffering for the innocent populace—a truly ruinous move for the nation and its people.

Taking advantage of this chaos, Ma Shiying eliminated all his political enemies, amassing a fortune rivaling a kingdom’s wealth. Yet he knew the real threat to him was not the ineffectual Donglin Party, but Wang Lanping’s troops stationed outside the city.

Publicly, Ma changed his tone. Upon receiving the family of Liu Zeqing, whom Wang Lanping had sent in custody, Ma immediately executed the entire Liu household, declaring Liu’s treasonous conspiracy. In the emperor’s name, he praised Wang Lanping as astute and farsighted for preemptively uncovering Liu’s disloyalty and ridding the realm of a great danger.

Ma’s actions were born of necessity. With the Huai’an Army loyal to Wang Lanping and the treacherous Gao Jie refusing to advance, who else could stop Wang’s return to Nanjing? Only money. Flush from the “False Crown Prince” affair, Ma had amassed more silver than he could count. While he was too shrewd to attempt buying off Wang Lanping directly, he could buy the allegiance of Wang’s subordinates.

For instance, the former commander of the Fourteenth Regiment stationed in Xiangshan, as well as various generals in charge of garrisons in Taiping, Changzhou, Guangde, Suzhou, and Songjiang—all held influence despite their limited troops. When these commanders raised their banners, many would rally to their cause.

If all these men sided with Ma Shiying, what could Wang Lanping do?

Hence, Ma secretly divided his silver into dozens of portions and dispatched messengers to generals across the provinces, claiming the emperor suffered daily under the oppression of bandit Wang Lanping, who had arrogantly seized the court’s forces and encircled Nanjing, turning the emperor into a mere puppet. Ma invited loyal armies from across the realm to march upon the capital and eliminate Wang Lanping.

Ma also dispatched swift ships carrying 800,000 taels of silver up the Yangtze to Jiujiang, seeking out Zuo Liangyu, the Wuchang general whose forces ranked second only to the formidable Zheng Zhilong in Fujian. Zuo commanded an army allegedly thirty thousand strong, realistically fifteen thousand. Ma offered not only the silver but also elevated Zuo from Marquis of Ningnan to Duke of Dingnan and bestowed upon him the title of General Who Pacifies Bandits, hoping Zuo would lead his troops to the capital and assist in eradicating Wang Lanping.

Many provincial generals, starved of pay and supplies, welcomed Ma’s silver as their savior, promising to raise their forces on the first day of the seventh lunar month to march on the capital. Even General Zuo agreed.

Of course, some accepted the money without genuine intention to support Ma, choosing to wait and see—an understandable strategy.

Within Wang Lanping’s Zhuan Yuan Army camp in Xiangshan, several commanders who had been forced to submit to Wang’s authority also secretly accepted Ma’s bribes, agreeing to act as internal supporters when the loyalist forces advanced.

All of this, however, was unbeknownst to Wang Lanping, who remained stationed in Yangzhou, unaware that a calamity was silently approaching—one that could pit Ming forces against each other in fratricidal slaughter, severely weakening their overall strength regardless of the outcome.

In the Yangzhou Military Headquarters, Shi Kefa convened with local officials to discuss the dire situation in the city.

Taking the seat of honor in the main hall, Shi Kefa spoke with righteous gravity. He recounted the havoc wrought by Gao Jie’s troops, summarized Yangzhou’s military deployment, and firmly declared that he would never allow Gao Jie’s forces into the city.

Wang Lanping found this laughable. Yangzhou’s garrison was under ten thousand strong. Could mere loyalty and patriotism persuade Gao Jie? Gao’s forces were notorious fighters, fierce and resolute. If provoked, Yangzhou risked destruction at their hands even before the Qing army arrived. The best course, Wang believed, was to appease Gao Jie.

Rising, he said, “Commander Shi, I think Gao Jie’s abandonment of Fengyang and his advance on Yangzhou is a reluctant move driven by lack of supplies. If this stalemate continues, Fengyang’s defenses will be left vulnerable for too long, harming both nation and people. I believe it would be better to acquiesce to his demands.”

Shi Kefa’s face fell. He had expected Wang Lanping to support Yangzhou, not plead for Gao Jie. The generals present were equally outraged, their admiration for Wang swiftly turning to contempt.

Shi Kefa said, “Duke of Dingnan, can you not see Gao Jie’s true purpose in moving south? You are a wise man; I need not spell it out, right?”

Wang Lanping smiled. “I understand perfectly. Chief Minister Ma suspects we might act against the court, prompting Gao Jie’s move to restrain me. But as you see, I have no sinister designs. Soon I shall go to Nanjing to meet the emperor and explain the reorganization of the Zhuan Yuan Army and the suppression of the unruly Huai’an Army.”

Shi Kefa replied, “If that is so, why defend Gao Jie? What is your purpose in entering Yangzhou?”

Wang Lanping answered, “Commander Shi, you misunderstand. I do not defend Gao Jie. I have come for the fate of Yangzhou’s hundreds of thousands of people, and for your sake.”

In a few months, the Qing army would march south to extinguish the Ming. Yangzhou, a key fortress just outside Nanjing, would be the first to face the assault. With fewer than ten thousand defenders, how could it hold? Gao Jie, having abandoned the Huai River, was unlikely to return. Better to keep him in Yangzhou for the coming bloody battle. Yet Shi Kefa and the others were entirely unaware of this.

Shi Kefa and the generals exchanged glances. “Oh? Then please, Duke of Dingnan, enlighten us.”

Wang Lanping smiled faintly, noting their doubtful expressions. He rose and walked to the Yangzhou defense district sand table, pointing to it. “Commander Shi, generals, please observe. Yangzhou lies only three hundred li from Nanjing and is its most important eastern military stronghold. Yet now, it is guarded by a mere eight thousand elderly and weak soldiers—a mockery of defense. Gao Jie has abandoned the critical Fengyang fort on the Huai River. According to my intelligence, the bandit leaders Kong Youde and Geng Zhongming have crossed the Yellow River, gathering forces in Xuzhou. If the reports are accurate, they now command two hundred thousand troops, with their advance aimed at Sizhou, intending to seize the Huai River and threaten Yangzhou. With the Huai River garrison withdrawn, Yangzhou faces danger alone. At such a moment, Yangzhou should not turn against Gao Jie but instead draw his forces into the city to bolster our defense.”

The assembly was stunned. None had heard of Manchu forces advancing south. Kong and Geng, entrenched in Shandong, were said to have crossed the Yellow River to suppress Li Zicheng, not to invade Ming territory. Moreover, the court had sent Governor Zuo Maodi north to negotiate peace.

Shi Kefa, however, agreed with Wang. He always suspected the Manchus harbored ambitions to seize the Central Plains and would never truly bargain for peace. But he feared Gao Jie’s unruly troops entering Yangzhou might provoke disaster rather than prevent it.

Shi Kefa said, “Indeed, I have also received such reports. Yangzhou is precarious, and I have petitioned the court for reinforcements. But Gao Jie is not the man I want—he would only add chaos.”

Wang Lanping laughed. “Commander Shi, you overestimate him. Gao Jie is your subordinate at the Yangzhou headquarters. You have troops at hand but refuse to use them, instead petitioning the court. Do you not know whether the court would send reinforcements? Even if they wanted to, who would they send? Who would be foolish enough to come to Yangzhou and face the first blow?”

Shi Kefa smiled wryly. Wang’s words struck the truth. With Ma Shiying in power, no relief would come. The chief minister sought peace and a temporary reprieve, not war with the Manchus.

Passing behind the sand table, Shi Kefa whispered to Wang, “If Gao Jie enters the city and brings disaster upon us all, what then? I have but eight thousand weak soldiers and cannot suppress such unrest.”

Wang Lanping also lowered his voice. “No worries. I have a plan to increase Yangzhou’s garrison by thirty thousand within a month. As for Gao Jie, that fool who abandoned the natural defense of the Huai River, let him accompany the late emperor.”

Shi Kefa was startled and pulled Wang aside. “Please, Duke, do tell. I am eager to hear the details.”